Typesetting machine



C. CHISHOLM TYPESETTiNG MACHINE March 15, 1932'.

Filed July 17, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 15, 1932. C |-||$HOLM 1,849,363

TYPESETTING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 amqa March 15, 1932. c. CHIS HOLM 1,849,3fi3

TYPESETTING MACHI E Filed July 17, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuewtoz 4 5244a @Zqwb 6W March 15, 1932. c, c s o I 1,849,363

TYPESETTING MACHINE 3mm 43 flaw March 15, 1932. c. CHISHOLM 1,849,363

TYPESETTING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INT lllll TIG/ :o %& 59/2. 3

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIFTON CHISHOLM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, IBY MES1\TE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO AIITEBICAN IvIULTIGrRAPH 00., OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'r'vrnsn rrrnve MACHINE This invention relates to type settingmachines which have a case containing rows of individual type and key actuated mechanism for controlling the discharge, one type at a time, from the lower end of'the case. One of the objects of the invention is to provide simple means for giving an indication to the operator when any channel isabout to become empty.

To the above end, I provide a series of feelers, one for each type channel, which engages the type as they descend in the channel and operate in the absence of type to energize a suitable signal. This feature of a signalcontrolled by a feeler engaging type is one of the essential characteristics of my invention.

I preferably employ my type case in the form of two banks of channels, one behind the other. When the case is so embodied, I provide two sets of feelers, one for each bank.

I mount the banks of type cases in a remo vable frame so that one case may be entirely removed and another case substituted for it, in the same keyboard controlled discharge mechanism. The means by which I effect this removal and replacement of the type case is also a feature of this invention.

I combine with my removable type case, a

suitable latch, preventing the inadvertent movement of the case, andI couple this latch with the sets of feelers, so that when the latch is open to allow the removal of the type case, the feelers are automatically held back, entirely free from the case. This is also one of the features of my invention.

For the most frequently'used characters, as for instance, the quad, or the letter E, it is desirable to have more than one type channel. Accordingly, I provide means whereby the individual feelers for any of these multiple channeds may be. manually moved to idle position with the result that whenever the signal in any such channel indicatesthat it is empty, the operator need only move that signal to idle position and correspondingly adjusthis key for another channel and thereafter, he may disregard the empty channel.

A convenient embodiment of my invention is-in'dicated: in-the drawings hereof 'andthe more essential characteristics are summarized in the claims. v

In the drawings, Fig. 1' is a sectional side elevation partly broken away of a type setting machine equipped with my feeling mechanism; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same, also partly broken away and with keys and'levers omitted; Fig. 3' is a sectional elevation partly broken away at right angles to Fig. 1, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a.

sectional end view of the type case'and associated mechanism; Fig. 5 1s a vertical section indicated by the line 5-5 on Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the feeler fingers; Fig. 7 is a similar view of a feeler finger used where there are two or more channels of type having the same character; Figs. 8 and 9 are end elevations in different positions of the feeler mechanism showing the parts in active positions and idle positions respectively and Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrammatic illustrations of signal circuits. The frame of the type setting machine shown comprises a bed 10, standards ll and 12 and a pair of Crossbars 18 and 14 carried by the standards, The type case comprises twobanks 20 and 21, one behind the other, each bank being composed of parallel grooved rails 22 spaced apart to provide channels for grooved type indicated at A. The rails are held by suitable/cross bars arranged in sets of three banks, one between the type banks and the other two on the out-, I

- side of the two banks. I shows three bars near the top of the bank designated 23,

' 241 and 25, and three bars near the bottom, des'-- ignated 26, 27 and 28. The sets ofbars 23, 24: and are connected together at their ends sides adjacent the type case, and the bars 13 and 14 provided with ribs 15 and 16, which occupy such grooves. The type case is provided with suitable bail-like handles 30 and 31, by which it may be readily manipulated to shove it laterally into and out of place; when shoved from the frame bars 13 and 14 into idle position it stands upon a suitable aligning support provided by a block 33 having overhanging ribs 34, as shown in Fig. 4. The case may be drawn beyond the portion of the block to the left of the bar shown in Fig. 3 onto a suitable tray or plate which will prevent the type dropping out of the case and may be clamped to the case and removed as a unit with it for storage. This enables another case carrying a difierent form of type to be readily substituted for the case shown.

When a type case is in place between the frame bars 13 and 14, as shown in Fig. 1, the lowermost type in either bank may be ejected onto a runway between the two banks and it may be shoved laterally along said runway to a suitable assemblage point. Fig. 1 indicates the runway as being on the upper surface of a stationary frame bar 17. Riding on this bar is a pusher bar 38 operated by any suitable mechanism, not shown, (but indicated diagrammatically by the handle 39, Fig. 3), whereby any ejected type may be shoved beyond the right hand end of Fig. 3 for assemblage in a suitable holder.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for ejecting the type from the case onto the runway 17. For this purpose, I have shown in Fig. 1, a pair of plungers 50 and 51, operated by bell cranks 52 and 58, constrained toward each other by a spring 54. Key levers having suitable finger keys 61 operate when their keys are depressed to raise the lower. arms of the bell cranks 52 or 53, as the case may be, and thus draw outwardly the corresponding plunger; after which, the spring 54, returning such bell crank, causes the plunger to shove onto the runway the lowermost type in the channel, which in the meantime has dropped in front of the plunger.

As the keyboard is ordinarily equipped with a shift key, the same key serving for both upper and lower case characters, I prefer to arrange the upper case characters in one bank and the corresponding lower case characters in the same channels of the other bank, and to couple the shift mechanism with a movable interponent between rear ends of the levers and the adjacent ends of the bell cranks. This interponent may comprise a frame 63 carrying a series of pins 64, one for each key. The frame is pivoted at 65, while a link 66 leads from its upper end and fur nishes means for swinging it to carry the set of pins into position beneath the arms of the forward set of bell cranks or beneath the arms of the rear set, as desired. Fig. 1 shows .;them to meet the lower case, so that the mahave provided a series of feelers '[0 extending transversely of the machine and adjacent the 7 type case. The feelers are pivotalrly mounted on cross rods '21 and72 carried by bearing blocks 73 and 74 which in turn are mounted on insulating bars 75 and 76 secured to the frame bars 13 and 14 respectively. The feelers are spaced apart by washers 7'? in such a manner that the feelers which coact with the type carried by the rear 21 bank of the type case, may enter the space between the grooved rails 22 and engage the feet of the type; while the feelers which engage the type carried by the front bank 20 are so arranged and spaced that they will engage the face of the type.

The feelers are so constructed that, when mounted on the cross rods 71 and 72 a bev elled toe 80 of each feeler engages the type A in the respective channel of the type case. In this position the weight of the heel S1 of the feeler is sufficient to cause the toe 80 of the feeler to exert a slight inward pressure against the type A. Hence when the type A are removed from the channels as by operation of the typesetting mechanism, to a position where the uppermost type in achannel is below the toe 80 of the feeler 70, which coacts with that specific type channel,

the weight of the heel 81 will then cause the feeler to pivot and enter the channel;

To limit the movement of the feeler fingers 70, I provide suitable bails 85 and 86 which may be pivotally mounted on the cross bars 71 and 72. These bails are preferably made of a material which is a conductor of electric energy and thereby may serve an additional purpose in that the contacting of any finger with either bail may cause a signal to be given to the operator, thereby notifying the operator that the type in some one or more of the channels 18 about to become exhausted.

To this end, I prefer to insulate the bails 85 and 86 from the rods 71 and 72 by suitable insulating members 87, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5. The bails may then be connected to a suitable source of power, such as a battery 90 by means of wiring 91 leading from the battery to suitable contact arms 93 which are held in position on the insulating blocks 75 and 76 by binding posts 92 and so positioned as to contact with the bails 85 and 86 when the bails are in their normal or lowermost positions.

Normally, the feelers 70, which are preferably metallic fingers, are held a slight distance away from the bails 80 by the type A in the channels. However, when by reason ofthe depletion of the supply of type in any ofthe channels, the feelers 7 0 which co-act with such'channels will pivot, thereby contacting with'the bail 85.0r 86. Energy from the battery 90 is thereby transmitted from the bail to the feelers 70, the bar 71 or 72 and bearing blocks 73 and 74 which may all be made of suitable conducting material, while suitable wiring 95 leads from the hearing blocks to a signal lamp 100. Wiring 96 leads from the lamp 100 to the source of power 90 forming the return circuit, therebycausing the light 100 to be illuminatedand signalling the operator that the supply of type in some one or more of the channels is about to become depleted whereupon the operator may replenish the supply before it is entirely exhausted, thus preventing possible omission of the type at the assembly point.

To enable the operator to readily tell what character is carried by the type which is about to be exhausted from its channel, I prefer to provide the bails 85 and 86 with overhanging lips 105 which carry suitable indicating strips 106 which are marked with characters corresponding to those carried by the type in the channel. When a feeler is pivoted about its respective shaft by reason of the depletion of the supply'of the type in any particular channel, the heel of this feeler will project over the indicating strip, as

, shown at 107 in Fig. 2, thereby informing the operator which channel is about to become exhausted of its supply of type and just what character is carried by the type of that channel.

Mounted on the cross bar 24 at the upper portion of the banks is a similar pair of projecting bars which carry similar indicating members 109 informing the operator into which channel. a new supply of type should be inserted.

In their active position, some of; the feelers 7O lie between the rails which go to make up the type case. Hence, it is apparent that before the type case may be movedlaterally out of place to remove it from its operative position on the machine and replace it with another case, the feelers/T0 must first be withdrawn to a position Where they will clear the type case and its associated parts. To this end, I movably mount the bails in such manner that they may be Operated to withdraw.

all the feelers. The bails-85 and 86 are shown as rigidly secured to their respective insulat-- ing blocks 87 as by means of pins 110, see

,Fig. 5. R-igidly secured to the insulating blocks 87 which lie at the left hand of the bars 71 and 72 in Fig. 2 are arms 111 and 112, as shown in Figs.;8 and 9 The arm 11].

is rigidly secured to the insulating block 87 'which isjmounted onthe shaft '72 endto,

in Figs. 1 and 8. Fig. 9 illustrates the bails in a raised position. It will be noted that as the bails are pivoted, they carry their respec- V tive bank of feelers to a position where the feelers will clear the'type banks and their associated parts. g

Ordinarily, a contact between the feelers and the bails would cause the signal lamp 100 to be illuminated. However, as the. bails 8,5 and 86 are pivoted they break their contact with the contact arms 93 thereby opening the electrical circuit and hence the light 100 will remain out.

To move the bails and with them, the feelers 70 to an inactive position, I prefer to employ the following mechanism: Rigidly secured to-the insulating bushing 81 which is mounted on the end of the rod 71, shown at the left inFigs. 2 and 3, is a rock arm 120' which is connected to a suitable walking beam 122 by means of a link 121 as shown in Fig. 4. The walking beam 122 is pivoted to the frame. 10. intermediate its ends as at 123 andlies below the block 33.. A lever 124 pivotally connected to the walking beam 122 and slidably mounted on a guide pin 126 which is secured to the frame may be used to rock the walking beam and likewise the bails. To operate the lever 124 I prefer to provide a cam plate 130 which is pivotally mounted on the frame as at 131 to coact with. the upper end125 of the lever 124. The cam plate 130 may be provided with any suitable means for manually rotating it such as a pin or handle 132. A spring 133 secured at one end to-the walking beam'122 and at the other end to a frame serves to keep the lever 124 in contact with the cam surfaces 136 and 137 of the cam 130;

It will be seen that when the parts of they l/Vhen the bails and the feelers 70 are in their inactive position the operating mechanism is in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. In this position, the surface 137 of the cam 130 coacts with the lever 124 thereby rocking the walking beam 122 and and dash lines in Fig. 7.

causing the bushing 87 mounted on the shaft 71 to be turned in a counter-clockwise direction (see Fig. l) thereby causing the bails to throw the feelers to their active position, which position is illustrated in 9.

As is frequently the case, it is desirable to have two or more channels which contain type of the same character. Accordingly, I provide means whereby the feelers for these multiple channels may be manually moved to an idle position, to the end that when one of the multiple channels of any character hecomes eXhausted and the signal informs the operator of the depleted condition of the type in the channel, he will then manually move the feeler which coacts with that particular channel to an inoperative or idle position and correspondingly adjust his key for another of the multiple channels, as illustrated in my prior application, and continue operating the machine without the necessity of having to replenish the supply of type in the exhausted channel at that time.

To accomplish this, I prefer to form the feelers which cooperate with the multiple channels in such a manner that they may be manually moved to an inactive position. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the feeler'llO has an elongated opening 141 which engages the shaft 71 or 72 as the case may be. As illustrated in Fig. 7, I have shown a feeler mounted on the shaft It will be noted that when the feeler 140 in its normal position, the toe 143 engages the type A and the heel 144 is slightly above the bail 86 in the same manner, as the finger 70. (See Fig. 6.) lVhen in this normal position, the shaft 72 lies in the right-hand end 146 of the opening 141 and the operation of the feeler 1%0 is the same as that of the finger T0. However, when the signal 100 indicates that the type A in the channel with which the feeler 140 cooperates is about to become e1;- hausted, the operator may lift the heel 14d of the feeler 140 causing the shaft 72 to occupy the left hand portion 147 of the opening 141. The insulating block 76 (Fig. restricts the movement of the feeler. This position of the feeler is illustrated in dot that when the feeler is in the position shown by the dot and dash lines that the weight of the feeler is distributed on the shaft 72 so the feeler will remain in this position out of contact with the bail thereby breaking the circuit between it and the light 100, until it has been manually returned to its active position.

I prefer to construct the feelers and MO in such a manner that they will not interfere with the plat g of additional type in the channel. I the efor provide the toe of each feeler with a cam portion 150 upon its upper edge. Hence when the feeler has pivoted due to the absence of type in the It will be noted,

channel with which it is associated, it will be cammed back by new type entering the channel and thereby returned to its normal position.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that I have provided a simple and efficient mechanism which is readily adaptable to many forms of type-setting machines, which have a case containing rows of individual type, and that my mechanism will indicate to the operator when any one of the rows of type is empty or about to become empty. Further, the mechanism is so arran ed that it will not interfere with the placing of additional type in the depleted channels. It is also noted that I have pro vided a 1 echanism which may cooperate with each of a multiple of type channels and which is adapted to engage the type as they move in the channel and operate in event of the absence of type to energize a signal, thereby informing the operator that a row of type is depleted or about to become depleted.

I have also provided a type case which may be removably mounted on a type setmachine to the end that another case may be substituted for it using the same key board control and discharge mechanism for both the cases. I have combined with my removable type case, a suitable latch mechanism preventing the inadvertent movement of the case and have coupled this latch mechanism with sets of feelers which operate to indicate to the operator the condition of the type channels with reference to their fullness or emptiness so that when the latch is operated to allow removal of the type case, the feelers are held away from the case so as not to interfere with removal thereof.

I have also provided means whereby the feelers for multiple channels of type may be manually moved to an idle position with the result that the most frequently used characters may have more than one type channel and the feelers for these channels may be moved manually into idle position so that whenever the signal indicates that any channel is about to become empty, the operator need only move the feeler which coacts with that particular channel to an idle position and continue in the operation of the machine without necessitating the immediate replacement of type.

I claim:

1. In a type settin machine, the combination of a removable type case having channels for type, means for indicating the condition of a channel with reference to its fullness and emptiness, and a latch associated with the type case adapted to lock the case in position, said latch being adapted to move the indicating means to idle position.

2. In combination with a type case having channels for type, a pivoted feeler having a beveled toe adapted to engage the type, said feeler having a weighted portion for retaining the toe in contact with the type, said feeler acting to visibly indicate the condition of that channel with reference to its fullness or emptiness.

3. In combination with a type case, having channels of type, a series of feelers adapted to indicate the condition of the channels with reference to their fullness or emptiness, a universal bar adapted to place the feelers in an idle position, and a latch adapted to operate the universal bar.

4;. In combination with a type case, having a plurality of banks, each comprising a series of channels adapted to carry type, a series of feelers associated with each bank and adapted to indicate the condition of the channels with reference to their fullness or emptiness of type, a universal barassociated with each series of feelers and adapted to render the feelers inactive, and a common means to operate the universal bars.

5. In combination with a type case having channels for type, of a series of feelers adapted to engage type to indicate the condition of the channel with reference to its fullness or emptiness, a universal bar adapted to render a plurality of feelers inoperative, and means associated with. the feelers whereby they may be rendered individually inoperative, irrespective of the operation of the universal bar.

6. In combination with a type case, having a plurality of banks, each bank having channels for type, each of the channels having a receiving point and a discharge point, indicating means at the receiving point for indicating the character on the type in each channel, feelers near the discharge end of the channels, indicating means associated with the feelers adapted to indicate the character carried by the type in the channel with which each feeler coacts, said feelers adapted to cooperate with said indicating means to indicate which channel is about to become empty and what character is carried by the type in that channel.

7 In combination with a type case having a plurality of channels for holding type of the same character, independent feelers adapted to engage type in the respective channels, means for individually rendering idle the feeler for an individual channel, and a signal adapted to be actuated by any feeler.

8. In combination with a type case having a plurality of channels for holding type, pivoted feelers associated with the respective channels and adapted to engage the type to indicate the fullness of respective channels, which feelers may be turned to an idle position.

9. The combination of a substantially horizontal support, an upright type case slidably mounted thereon and comprising a set of parallel rails adapted to hold grooved type be? tween them, means for individually ejecting the bottom-most type from the type channels defined by the. rails, and means for moving i:

the type case as a whole laterally on the sup port. V i '10l-In a type setting machine, the combination. of an upright type case having two banks one behind the other, means'for ejectingfthe type'from either bank, the two banks being connected together and slidably mounted in the machine, and means for moving them laterally as a unit.

11. In a t ne settin machine the coinbiyj. g 7

12. Ina machine of the character de-* scribed, a type case having a series of gravitational channels for type and a set of individually pivoted counterweighted feelers one for each type channel and extending through vertical openings in the type channels to engage the feet of the type lightly as they descend, said feelers being visible so that their observed position may indicate the comparative fullness or emptiness of the channel.

13. The combination of atype case having a series of gravitational channels for individual type, a set of visible feelers adapted to bear lightly against the type in said channels a considerable distance above the bottom of the channels, said feelers being retained by the type in a normal position and moving when released by the type into an abnormal position indicating that the channel is approaching emptiness.

14. The combination of a gravitational type case having channels for individual type, a set of visible individual feelers engagin the type and by their position indicatin the comparative fullness or emptiness of the channel, a signal, and means whereby any ofthe feelers going to abnormal position operates said signal to give an indication that some channel is nearly empty, the polsition of the feeler indicating which channe 15. The combination of a gravitational type case having channels for individual type, a set of individual pivoted counterweighted feelers located in a visible position and adapted to coact with the type in the various channels, means whereby when a channel approaches emptiness but still contains several type, the corresponding feeler becomes released and moves to an abnormal position, and a signal common to all the feelers and operated when any one goes to abnormal position, the visible position of the feeler indicating which channel operated the signal.

16. In combination with a type case, having channels side by side for type, feelers one for each channel associated with the type, indicating means extending transversely of the channels to show what character is carried by the type in each channel, and means associated with all of the feelers to indicate the condition of some channel with reference to its fullness or emptiness.

17 The combination with a type case having channels for individual type and means for discharging type from the end of the various channels, and means for indicating the approximate exhaustion of any channel a material time in advance of the actual exhaustion, and without interfering with the subsequent discharge of the type, whereby time is allowed after the indication for replenishment of any nearly depleted channel.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM. 

